Weekend trip to York
This last Monday the Year 10’s were out of the school for a trip which meant there were 2 less lessons for me to plan. My other lessons on Monday were already planned, so I decided that I needed to take advantage of a free weekend. I didn’t decide where to go until the Thursday before the weekend. I ended up going to the stomping grounds of my head of year, York. So, I was getting pretty excited that I could cram one last mini trip to York, my train tickets and hotel booked, and then the school gave me (and the other year 7, 8 and 10 tutees) a huge stack of reports to go through for the weekend! Not only that, I did not get any information as to what I was to do with the reports, so I had to ask around. Apparently I got overlooked in the e-mail explaining it all. Well, instead of cancelling my trip, I worked hard on Thursday night, Friday night and took the remaining reports with me to do on the train. To take advantage of discounts, I had to take the 5:38 am train to Peterborough and then transfer to York to arrive at 9ish. Despite falling asleep more than once with the reports in hand, I was able to get them all done before I arrived in York so I could enjoy my weekend without that looming over my head.
York is actually the modern version of the Viking settlement of Jorvik (pronounced “YOUR vik”) and due to the limited-oxygen environment of the bogs, many of the Viking artefacts are being dug up in very good conditions. Jorvik is also the name of the Viking Museum there. I liked the technology incorporated in the museum, but I felt they relied on it too much. One person in scientist attire ushered us into a “time capsule” and just told us to watch the screen – which did a good job in showing us changing attire and cityscape of York back to the 800’s – but the “scientist” didn’t really get into the part. A really cool attraction was the amusement park ride style cars we sat on with commentary with the language of our choice in the head rests. The ride was not nearly the speed of a rollercoaster, but it eased us through a typical Viking village with all the sights, sounds and smells, recreated with utmost care. (Fortunately they chose not to add the smell of the Viking WC!) After the ride, the tourists got to try some “Viking” clothes and try our hand in some limited crafts (most of them needing repair). Back in 2001 I went to Scandinavia with another volunteer from the States, and in my opinion the Viking museums there were more impressive. But then again those museums had a lot more space and artefacts available to them. It was still good, but I guess the next time I want to see Vikings, I should go back to Norway!
Over the weekend I saw other attractions such as the Castle Museum, the Minster (largest Cathedral North of Germany), The Merchant Adventurers' Hall, walking along the Shambles, and trying to hunt down a non-existent concert in the cemetery chapel (I blame the tourist information desk for incorrect details). My favourite was the Barely Hall, a reconstructed 15th Century Hall with actual reconstructionlists in period dress more than willing to talk about their trades. They were not simply working there as a job like in the Jorvik Museum. They really get into their roles. One woman I talked to said she has a whole van load of supplies and artefacts she has accumulated to support her role as a matron of the Hall. They have a real passion getting portraying the period right, some of them actually slept in the Hall the previous night! On sight were also a resident goldsmith, and people who collected and made 15th century weapons and would participate in jousts on weekends. Their passion of the period really helped to bring the history alive. Before getting on to my own train to head on back to Colchester, I did a quick visit of the Railway Museum but I was so tired that I didn’t bother seeing the whole thing. Instead, I had supper in a pub and watched the rest of the England verses Ecuador game.
On Thusday the Year 11's had their prom to celibrate end of their years in school. Some of them will go on to 6th form college (like grade 11 and 12 back home) while most will look for work. The prom is the closest thing they have to a graduation here. I chose not to go, mainly because it was on a Thursday and I still had to teach on Friday. One of the reasons why I like teaching highschool age students is to help them with the transition from teenage to adult, and to celibrate with them when they pass important milestones as this one. Normally I would have gone to the Prom to wish them good luck in the future, but I was not compelled enough to join in with this celibration. I think if it was at the actual end of the school year, then I would have gone, but I still have another 3 weeks of school left. So, all you teaching freinds back home, think of me when you relax on the beach soaking in the sun. I've still work to do!
Shalom
Kevin
York is actually the modern version of the Viking settlement of Jorvik (pronounced “YOUR vik”) and due to the limited-oxygen environment of the bogs, many of the Viking artefacts are being dug up in very good conditions. Jorvik is also the name of the Viking Museum there. I liked the technology incorporated in the museum, but I felt they relied on it too much. One person in scientist attire ushered us into a “time capsule” and just told us to watch the screen – which did a good job in showing us changing attire and cityscape of York back to the 800’s – but the “scientist” didn’t really get into the part. A really cool attraction was the amusement park ride style cars we sat on with commentary with the language of our choice in the head rests. The ride was not nearly the speed of a rollercoaster, but it eased us through a typical Viking village with all the sights, sounds and smells, recreated with utmost care. (Fortunately they chose not to add the smell of the Viking WC!) After the ride, the tourists got to try some “Viking” clothes and try our hand in some limited crafts (most of them needing repair). Back in 2001 I went to Scandinavia with another volunteer from the States, and in my opinion the Viking museums there were more impressive. But then again those museums had a lot more space and artefacts available to them. It was still good, but I guess the next time I want to see Vikings, I should go back to Norway!
Over the weekend I saw other attractions such as the Castle Museum, the Minster (largest Cathedral North of Germany), The Merchant Adventurers' Hall, walking along the Shambles, and trying to hunt down a non-existent concert in the cemetery chapel (I blame the tourist information desk for incorrect details). My favourite was the Barely Hall, a reconstructed 15th Century Hall with actual reconstructionlists in period dress more than willing to talk about their trades. They were not simply working there as a job like in the Jorvik Museum. They really get into their roles. One woman I talked to said she has a whole van load of supplies and artefacts she has accumulated to support her role as a matron of the Hall. They have a real passion getting portraying the period right, some of them actually slept in the Hall the previous night! On sight were also a resident goldsmith, and people who collected and made 15th century weapons and would participate in jousts on weekends. Their passion of the period really helped to bring the history alive. Before getting on to my own train to head on back to Colchester, I did a quick visit of the Railway Museum but I was so tired that I didn’t bother seeing the whole thing. Instead, I had supper in a pub and watched the rest of the England verses Ecuador game.
On Thusday the Year 11's had their prom to celibrate end of their years in school. Some of them will go on to 6th form college (like grade 11 and 12 back home) while most will look for work. The prom is the closest thing they have to a graduation here. I chose not to go, mainly because it was on a Thursday and I still had to teach on Friday. One of the reasons why I like teaching highschool age students is to help them with the transition from teenage to adult, and to celibrate with them when they pass important milestones as this one. Normally I would have gone to the Prom to wish them good luck in the future, but I was not compelled enough to join in with this celibration. I think if it was at the actual end of the school year, then I would have gone, but I still have another 3 weeks of school left. So, all you teaching freinds back home, think of me when you relax on the beach soaking in the sun. I've still work to do!
Shalom
Kevin
posted by K. Stoesz at 09:47
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